Fat-Restricted Diet

What Is a Fat-Restricted Diet?

A fat-restricted diet limits the amount of fat you can eat each day.

Why Should I Follow a Fat-Restricted Diet?

This diet may be prescribed for people with medical conditions that make it difficult to digest fat. Examples include chronic
pancreatitis
and gallbladder disease. A fat-restricted diet will minimize the unpleasant side effects of fat malabsorption, such as
diarrhea
, gas, and cramping.

Fat-Restricted Diet Basics

A fat-restricted diet typically limits fat intake to 50 grams per day. Fat contains nine calories per gram. So, if you need 2,000 calories per day, this means only about 22% of those calories can be from fat. The rest should be from carbohydrates and proteins.

For most people, it is possible to meet all nutrient requirements on this diet. However, a supplement may be recommended if fat is very limited or you are on the diet for a long time. Vitamins
A
,
D
,
E
, and
K
need fat to be absorbed. Your doctor or a dietitian may recommend supplements for these vitamins.

Eating Guide for a Fat-Restricted Diet

The following guide is broken down into categories based on the
Choose My Plate website
recommendations for healthy eating. It is recommended that you work with a dietitian to determine how many servings of each category you should eat. Here are some general recommendations:

The base of your diet should be composed of grains, vegetables, and fruit. Strive to eat foods from these three categories at each meal. Fruits and vegetables should cover half of your plate at each meal. When eating grains, choose foods made with whole grains instead of refined grains.

If you enjoy healthy fats (eg, nuts, olives, and avocados), ask your doctor or dietitian about how you can add these foods into your diet. Since these foods have a lot of fat, they need to be added to your day's intake of fat.

Food CategoryFoods RecommendedFoods to Avoid

Grains

Whole grain breads

Low-fat whole grain cereals

Rice

Pasta or noodles

Homemade pancakes or French toast made with minimal fat

Low-fat crackers

Baked chips

Pretzels

Unbuttered popcorn

Fried rice

Granola

Biscuits

Sweet rolls

Muffins, scones, coffee bread, doughnuts

Most pancakes and waffles

Cheese bread

Vegetables

Fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables

Vegetables prepared with butter, oil, or sauce

Fried vegetables

Mashed potatoes made with butter, margarine, or cream

French fries

Fruit

Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits

Avocados, coconuts, and olives

Fruit prepared with butter, cream, or sauce

Milk

Fat-free like nonfat, skim milk

Low-fat or nonfat cheeses

Fat-free yogurt or kefir

Fat-free buttermilk

Reduced fat (2%) or whole milk

Chocolate milk

Cream like whipped, heavy, or sour

Whole milk yogurt

Regular cheese

Proteins

Lean meats

Chicken or turkey without the skin

Lean fish

Beans and legumes

Egg whites; limit whole eggs to 3 per week

Fatty cuts of meat

Duck or goose

Bacon

Sausage or hot dogs

Cold cuts

Fish canned in oil

Nuts and peanut butter

Fats and Sweets
in moderation

Honey

Jam

Hard candies

Jelly beans

Marshmallows

Low-fat or fat-free ice cream or frozen yogurt

Sherbets or fruit ice

Jell-O

Angel food cake

Butter, margarine, lard, shortening in excess of allowed amount

Snack chips

Ice cream

Pastries, pie, cake, and cookies

Chocolate

Most candy

Beverages

Coffee, tea

Carbonated beverages

Juice

Water

Coffee drinks made with fat-free milk

Cocoa made with fat-free milk

Frappes, milk shakes

Eggnog

Other

Soups made from a fat-free milk or broth base

Herbs and spices

Salt in moderation

Cream soups

Non-dairy creamer

Suggestions on Eating a Fat-Restricted Diet

Look for the following key phrases on food labels: low-fat, nonfat, and fat-free.

Choose foods that contain less than 3 grams of fat per serving. Be sure to eat only one serving.

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Dietary guidelines for Americans 2010. US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Available at:
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf. Accessed November 17, 2014.